Improvement in nut-machines



L.THOMAS. l Nut Machine." No. 39,504.

2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Aug. Il, 1863.

zines s e s N, PETERS. PhulbJ-hngmphn wnshinglcn. D, C.

2 sheets-sheet 2.' L. THOMAS.

Nut Machine. Y No. 39,504. Patented Aug.11,`"1863.

@Ntra PATENT FFTCE@ IMPROVEMENT IN NUT-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.V 39,503, dated August 11, 1863.

To all whom t may concern:

Beitknown that I, LnoPoLD THOMAS, of the city of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State ot'Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and Improved N tit-Making Machine, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the center of Fig. l. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a horizontal section through Fig. 1, taken in the plane indicated by red line x m marked thereon. Fig. 4 is a side view of the dies and punch by which the nuts are shaped and punched. Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machinery for making nut-blanks or perforated blocks of metal ready for receiving the screwthreads.

The object ofmy invention is to produce compressed nuts by a machine which is so constructed that while it will occupy comparatively little space its parts will all possess great strength, and will operate with great rapidity.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

ln the drawings, a represents the bed of the machine, at one end of which is fixed the headblock b, consisting oi' two strong upright parallel plates of iron. From the top of this headblock b is a horizontal plane-surface bar, o, extending toward the rear end of the machine, and from this bar c depends two cheekpieces, d d, which are connected at their lower ends to a transverse stirrup, e, on which the punch-bar f slides. Between the cheekpieces and above the punch-bar is placed the sliding bar g, which carries one of the compressingdies h. This latter bar is thus guided in its movements by the cheek-pieces d cl'and upper and lower parallel bars, f c. To the top bar, c,oi'the frame, about midway between the cheek-pieces and the headblock, two hanging levers, k 7c are pivoted, consisting of two similar and parallel plates of iron, which are connected to the bar c by means of a pin, t, which passes transversely .through this bar. These plates 7c 7a, one being on each side of bar c, are connected at their lower extremity by the front end of the pitman l, which is pivoted to them at fi', Figs. 1 and 2. Each of the plates 7s la composing this hanging lever has attached to it on its front edge, about midway of its length, a rectangular block of steel, m, Fig. 3, there being two such blocks placed side by side, but as far apart laterally as the width ot' the square of the nut to be formed between them; These steel blocks m m form two ofthe sides of the space in which -the nut is inclosed while being` shaped, and one of them serves as a cutter to sever the nut-blanks from the bar of iron when placed against the front die, h', as will be hereinafter explained.

In the sliding punch-bar f is inserted the round punch n, by which the hole through the nut is made. At the rear end of the pitman l is a cam-yoke, p, which encircles a circular cam, q, keyed eccentrically on the drivingsha-ft r of the machine, and beside the eccentric cam q on the same shaft is placed a segmental cam, s, which operates to depress the rear end of the lever t, which is pivoted at i2 to the bed-plate et of the machine. The other extremity of lever t is pivoted at i3 to curved arm u, which carries on its upper end a rectangular `block of steel, r, which forms the bottom of the space which incloses the nut when it is being shaped and punched. The curved arm u is pivoted at t4 to the headblock b near to the bed-plate a, being placed between and pivoted to the two plates forming the head-block. The motion of the lever t, when operated by the segmental cam s, raises the curved arxn u until the steel block c comes up in a'horizontal position under the space between the front die, t, and the rear die, h, and touches the under side of both of them, as seen in Figs. l, 2, and 4. When the cam s releases the lever t, the curved arm u drops down by its own gravity to allow the finished nut to fall out from between the pressingdies. The pressing-dies h h are perforated to allow the round punch a to pass through them. The front die, h, is stationary, it being Xed to the head-block b. Each of these pressing-dies is square, their operative faces being the same size as the nut to be formed between them. The rear pressing-die, h, which is movable, and which is carried by the sliding block or bar g, is L -shaped, the longer arm, o, of the rectangle being keyed horizontally into a suitable cavity in the sliding block g, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4, its under side resting upon the upper side of the stationary die hf, so that the shorter arm, h, is immediately in the rear of the stationary pressing-die h', their faces being perpendicular and parallel. The pressing-dies h h o and the steel block yv are all of the same width,thatv is, equal to the height of the dies h h, which are square-and when the curved arm u is raised they form a rectangular cavity, (seen in Fig. 4,) in which the nuts are swaged and punched. The two side blocks, m m, Fig. 5, inclose this cavity on both sides, so as to surround the nut-blank on all sides. The sliding bar 0, which carries the movable pressingdie h, receives its forward motion from the punch-block f, the shoulder or square end of which pressing against the rear end of the die h and carrying it forward. When the punch-block f and lever k recede, they carry with them the die hfor a short distance, when the pins j, projecting from the sides of the sliding block or bar g, come in contact with the cheek-pieces d d and stop the further backward motion of the die h, while the punch n and side dies, m m, still receding, deliver the iini'shed or perforated nut. The sliding punchbar f is connected to the hanging lever lo on either side by a link, w, one on each side, so that the sliding punch-bar advances and recedes bythe motion of the hanging lever conimunicated from the shaft r by the pitman l. In the rear end of the punch-bar fis a slot, through which passes a cross-arm, Fig. 3, to each end of which is pivoted the links w w, one on each side. In front of the cross-arm in the slot in the punch-bar f is a strong semielliptic spring, y, which allows of a little play to the punch-bar fand to the rear pressingdie, h, while the nut is being pressed. The extent of this play is regulated by a screw, z, which is inserted through a plate, a', attached to the rear end of the punch-bar f, covering the slot in which the cross-arm x is placed.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The several parts being in the relative positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the end ofa properly-heated bar of iron is placed on the lower die, c, and immediately against the face of the stationary pressing-die hf. The revolution of the shaft r then causes the side dies, m m, to advance by pressing forward the hanging lever 7c, which severs the iron between the dies from the bar, and incloses the blank on all its sides between the inner faces of the two d ies h h', thetwo sideshear dies, m m, and the upper and lower dies, o t. Simultaneously with the advance of the side dies, m in, the punch bar, with its punch, advances and punches a round hole through the blank, forcing the wad or punching in the round hold in the stationary pressing-die h. rI he forward motion of the punch-block f causes the sliding die-block g, which rests upon it, to advance also, there being no resistance thereto, but when the face of the die h touches the nntblank it will not advance farther until the blank has been punched, and the shoulder of the punch a, or end of punch-bar f, comes in contact with the rear end of this moving die h, when a slightlfarther advance of the punch bar causes the die to advance, and thus presses the nut in the cavity formed by the dies and around the punch. If the motion which would thus be given to the movin g die 71. should be too greatthat is, if the nut will not withstand the degree of compression to which it would thus be subjected without swelling at the sides and fracturing the machine-the strain is relieved by the spring y in the punch-barf, for as the motion of this punch-block, which communicates the pressing movement to the die It, is

effected by means of the links w w, pivoted to the cross-arm x, which bears upon the spring y, the spring yields to an undue degree of presssure, (regulated by the screw 2,) allowing the lever la to advance without a corresponding advance of the punch block or bar, and thus permit the pitman l to nish its stroke. When the pitman Z has passed forward to the end of its stroke, the nut is finished. The lever 7c then commences to recede, carrying the nut with it on the punch n, the moving die h also receding until the projections j on the sliding bar g come in contact with the cheekpieces d d, which arrest the retrocession of the rear die, h. The punch a and side m m, however, continue to recede, and the nut, being held by the die h, is delivered from the punch and side pieces, and the lower die, o,

dropping down, leaves free space for the nut 4 to fall away from the machine.

From this description it will be seen-'that my machine is composed of very few parts; that these parts are made to perform the work of cutting off the blanks, compressing and swaging the same into a solid nut', and also punching the blank ready for the screw-tapper. The shear-blocks m m, which cut oft' the blanks, serve also, as portions of the swagging-cavity, or sides for this cavity, to confine the blanks during the operation of the movable die ih and punch fn. rIhe machine is also so constructed that any undue strain, which `would be liable to derange any of the parts,.is received by a yielding spring, which accommodates itself and the parts directly connected to it to the varying thicknesses of the bars from which the blank nuts are cut, and which can be adjusted in a very simple manner.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Gompressing, swaging, and punching nuts in a cavity which has for its sides the'vibrating shear-blocks m m, its ends the stationary perforated die h and the movable perforated die h, and its top and bottom the portions o and c, all constructed, arranged,

punch-carrying barf with the perforated recprocating dic-block h, bar g, and chcckpins j, arranged and operating substantially as described.

3. Transmitting areciprocating motion to the punch-bar f bymcans of links w 'w and vibrating levers 7c k, which carry the cutting and closing blocks m m, substantially as described. p 4. The vibrating arm u, carrying on its upper end a block, fu, which constitutes, When in a horizontal position, the bottom of the cavity in which the nuts are swaged and punched, in combination with the stationary die h and moving die h, substantially as described.

5. The reciprocating perforated die-block o 7L, so arranged with reference to the dies h o as to form the top and one side of the cavity in which the nuts are sWaged `and punched,

and combined with the levers lc lc, punch-bar f, and links w w, so that after the nuts are punched they may bedischarged from the punching-tool, substantially as described.

6. The combination of vibrating arms 7c k, link-connections w u1, cross-arm w, spring` y, punchbarf, and sliding die-block lz, substantially as specified. 4

7. `The combination of the reciprocating diecarrying bar .g With the reciprocating punch-bar f, stop-pin j, vibrating arms k lc, links w w, and pendent guides ol d, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof the said LEOPOLD THOMAS has hereunto set his hand.

' LEOPOLD THOMAS.

In presence oi'- W. BAKEWELL, J. D. HANCOCK. 

